We went to You Me Bum Bum Train in December 2011 - an incredible immersive experience, you went in solo and moved throughout their sprawling set for 45 minutes with only actors as your accompaniment, you were essentially the star and your reactions changed their actions. This was said to be similar in feel to Punch Drunk's shows so I had high expectations.
Tickets went on sale in March and I booked tickets for the previews for myself and 5 others.
Unfortunately on the day of our booked slot last week, they had technical issues so had to cancel our show. I was pretty pissed but got on the phone straightaway and managed to rebook 4 of our tickets for the next night.
It took place next to Paddington station it what looked like an old postal sorting office but I'm not sure if that is correct. After checking in our belongings, we went in with nothing except our tickets (some cash might have been useful though). I don't want to say exactly what happens as the show is running for a long time but similar to YMBBT, you make your own experience. You can follow the actors to gather fragments of the story, pulling them together the more you explore but you also need to explore by yourself and discovering the incredible detail in the sets. One of my particular favourites was the Narnia esq wardrobe in the fitting room. I didn't see everything and didn't follow half the actors, the three hours flies but the actors do certain scenes on loop so you have the chance to take it in from different perspectives - apparently the action is 10 hours end to end so I guess it's impossible to see it all in one night. The plot is based on a real/fictional Hollywood studio pre WWII in America and the goings on around it, I never saw anything to do with a drowned man though, perhaps I missed that bit.
Just reading some background on Punch Drunk and they worked on the Adam Curtis film which I remember watching - interesting how these things come together.
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